Alexander Smith, administrator of the William Mills estate, asks the court for permission to work the slaves in the estate on land belonging to Mills's widow. The petitioner states that at the time of his death, Mills owned no land; therefore the slaves are now in a state of "unprofitable idleness." Furthermore, he states that "hiring them among strangers would probably result very injuriously to the value of the slaves, and as the season is now somewhat advanced, they would not bring such an amount as to make that course desirable." He therefore asks the court to allow the slaves to be worked on the land previously cultivated by Mills, land that belongs to his widow. The estate will pay her for rent of the land, and she will pay for the hire of the slaves. The proceeds from the cotton crop will be divided among the heirs.
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Repository: Yazoo County Courthouse, Yazoo City, Mississippi
